Chilly mornings, warm days and cold nights.

 So the grandchild is much better, his medication is finished and on our last day with him David and I walked him to his nursery and said a tearful goodbye as he waved to us over his shoulder.  

That was me who was tearful not him.

We drove back to WaL, I think it was four hour trip, sunglasses on most of the way but as we approached Market Drayton the sky simply turned black seeming around one corner, as we approached Addersley the sky was positively thunderous and as we parked on the nearby bridge it fell down.  

We waited.

The useful thing about popping home was that I took all our washing with me.  It was kind of a role reversal in that most children take their washing home and give it to their mothers to do...  I brought a small amount back wet but otherwise a successful task completed.

The car was also full of petrol once again, it seems the "Shortage" is confined to the south east corner of the UK and not many other areas now.  The first service station had a massive queue for diesel only petrol having sold out at dawn, David didn't really want to bother with another service station but as I was driving, (Slightly ironically but David does most if not all the boat driving and I do virtually all of the car driving as he makes me scream when he drives the car) 

so as I was driving I took us to try the Warwick service station, not only is the petrol very quickly accessible there was not one car waiting.  We will use this station in the future instead of having to do a long drive just to get to the pumps.

 WaL was fine after her weekend alone.  The next morning a few boats passed us in both directions while David moved the car.  We never leave the car at bridges for more than one night.  So we finally set off after breakfast and coffee.

Last night's mooring.

Here is a by-wash, we had some rain yesterday David was washed back but got out easily with bow thrusters.  The poor hirers in front of us had quite a bit more trouble coping.

I couldn't quite figure out how this injury had occurred but its been wallopped alright.

Quite a bit of traffic here today which of course makes for an easy passage.

I poked my nose in the bushes here and discovered what happens to the old lock gates.... I suppose they will be eaten by beetles in the centuries to come, don't know about the metal though.

It is quite up and down with the paddles using the Steve method.

This is the other farm shop, the sign remains but not trading just now, here is the stall we paid for the most delicious pork pies, David's words, I cannot stand them.

We arrived at Market Drayton, watered up and departed.  We both would have liked to have had a nose about there but that will wait till next time.

It's the most lovely countryside on the Shroppie canal, that is when you can see it...

So nice for us to see "Black&Whites",  the sun came out and all was joyfulness.  Well doesn't your heart leap with views like this?

So farming news, harvest is over cultivating and drilling has began.  At home, a favourite view of mine when the corn is golden with the grass and trees olive green.  Every year I vow to drive there and photograph this view in harvest colours, needless to say I have missed it again, that makes about 30 years missed.  I just hope I remember next year, remind me Reader will you? 

Seagulls travel far and wide for a bit of cultivation.

Pretty quickly after Market Drayton comes the Tyrley Flight, the bottom locks are in a cutting hewn from rock, very impressive, the towpath was thick mud, not so great on your deck.

See the rock, see the mud?

This by-wash was a stinker even though it had a guard on it.

The countryside completely opens out above this lock.  We met a hirer who was decidedly nervous about this flight tomorrow, he had walked a couple of miles to see the locks before bringing his hire boat here tomorrow.  I couldn't really think of anything to say to alay his fears except just go steady....
Only yesterday we heard tales of a hire boat that had gone 90 degrees in the pound because of the by-washes.

Top and final lock today, Tyrley lock cottages and former stabling

After the lock then its almost immediately into trees and the Woodsleeves Cutting.  Many love the trees and marvel at the work to have made the cutting, but I just think it was a waste of gorgeous sunshine and a bit deadly dull, but don't let me influence you....

There was a sign up saying the towpath was closed.

Landslips on the off side, the ground just looks likes a child's sandcastle after it has dried in the sun and simply rolls away.

Still looks very unstable, I'm sure it will happen again.

High bridge.

Its sunny up there, chilly down here.  Nice and narrow, we didn't meet anyone.

This is where the towpath is closed, you can see plenty of footsteps scrambling over.

So if a tree slips in a cutting and no one and nothing is there to hear it, does it make any noise...?

The temperature was quickly dropping after we departed the trees, then a massive long line of moored boats, then a viewpoint over the rolling hills, shall we moor up here I said with sweeping arm movements to indicate the view, No I want to get onto Norbury Junction, well we were hoping to meet Steve and Chris from NB AmyJo at Norbury Junction there but no day was fixed upon yet, okay I said and went inside to let him get on with it.

Moments later, he was pulling WaL into a space, and in went the stakes.

It was now COLD but quickly hot showers were had and supper was served.

Sausages and french beans with peach surprise.